Breaking Barriers

Blitz Bureau

FROM 2014-15 to 2025-26, there has been a significant jump in the allocation for gender budgeting in India. The outlay has increased from Rs 0.98 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 4.49 lakh crore in 2025-26, with the percentage share for gender budgeting in the Union Budget surging to a robust 8.86 per cent in FY 2025-26, up from 5.46 per cent in 2014-15. This reflects the Government’s sustained commitment to advancing gender equity through public spending. India marked a major milestone in its efforts to make Government budgets and spending more equitable and supportive of women with the introduction of the Gender Budget Statement in 2005– 06. It marked the country’s commitment to examining public resource allocation through a gender lens.

The move recognises that national budgets don’t impact all sections of society equally, necessitating a systematic approach to ensure women’s developmental needs receive adequate attention in Government spending.

Knowledge portal

Last month, the Ministry of Women and Child Development organised a national consultation on gender budgeting, during which the ‘Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub’ portal was launched. The hub is a digital repository of all information related to gender budgeting processes, intended for use by Central and state Government ministries/departments, as well as other stakeholders.

Gender budgeting is gaining momentum as more ministries and departments become aware of gender issues and start reviewing their programmes and schemes with a gender-sensitive approach. This analytical tool serves not merely as an accounting exercise but as a strategic mechanism to ensure women’s needs are included in all Government work, checks if services are reaching women, and aims to improve women’s access to public resources in development plans.

The Gender Budget is divided into two parts – the budget provisions for schemes that are substantially meant for the benefit of women. The first part details schemes in which 100 per cent provision is for women. The second reflects schemes where the allocations for women constitute at least 30 per cent of the provision.

In the Union Budget 2024-25, another part was included as schemes with allocations for women and girls below 30 per cent of the provision. Inclusion of this in the GBS is expected to holistically reflect the allocations for women by the Government and its commitment towards gender equality and women empowerment.

As per a paper by the Observer Research Foundation, titled ‘Gender-Responsive Budgeting in India, Bangladesh and Rwanda: A Comparison’ (July 2020), India’s introduction of gender budget shows a positive trend. The country has institutionalised genderresponsive budgeting (GRB) at both national and state levels, with gender budget cells established across ministries and departments.

Capacity-building steps

The mandatory inclusion of Gender Budget Statements (GBS) in the Union Budget ensures regular tracking of allocations for women and girls. Besides, capacity-building initiatives, such as manuals, handbooks, and training by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, have strengthened technical expertise in gender budgeting. Several states have adopted GRB, promoting decentralised and region-specific gender interventions. There is an increasing emphasis on collecting sex-disaggregated data and monitoring outcomes, moving beyond inputbased accounting to impact assessment.

Gender budget allocations have steadily increased over the years, reflecting a growing financial commitment to gender equality. GRB has influenced the design of new women-centric schemes, enhancing women’s economic and social empowerment across sectors. These trends collectively demonstrate India’s progress in mainstreaming gender considerations into public expenditure and policy planning.

Conclusion

Gender budgeting in India represents a transformative governance reform that transcends mere resource allocation to address deep-rooted structural inequalities and promote inclusive development. The remarkable growth in gender budget allocation, coupled with the evolution of a comprehensive three-part framework and the launch of Mission Shakti, demonstrates India’s unwavering commitment to mainstreaming gender concerns across all Government activities.

By embedding a gender lens into every aspect of planning, budgeting, and implementation, India is positioning itself as a global leader in gender-responsive governance, paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive society where every woman can realise her full potential.

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